Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-09-01

From the Handers Museum, a Vienna Journ

From the Handles Museum, aViennaJ Journal.
Mother OF pearl fishing is carried on all
over the Red Sea from the north down to the
Gulf of Alden, but the best fishing grounds
are in the neighborhood of Suakin. Massowah,
and the Farsan Islands The fishing fleet
consists of about 800 boats, mostly belonging
to the ROBBED Bedouins, tribe inhabting
the coast between Jeddah and Yambo. About
so belong to Jeddah, and others to other To-
calties. They are open boats, OF from to
20 tons burden, with one lateen sail. The
crew varies from 8 TO IL men. There are
two different fishing seasons, one of four and
the other of eight months. and during
these the boats remain almost constantly
at sea, except for few weeks.
The crew, consisting IN great part OF black
slaves, receives tw o-thrds of the catch, de-
auctions being made for their food; the own
ers of the boat keeping the other third. Ac-
eiients are seldom heard of, add the divers
are remarkable for their physical vigor and
robust health They range in age between
10 and 40 and the work seems to do them no
harm. The fishing grounds are in the neigh
borhood of coral reefs, where the boats are
anchored The divers then go out in small
canoes, specially imported from the Malabar
coast for the purpose, and begin their work
all round. 1t is necessary that the sea should
be calm, otherwise the shells cannot be seen
For some years past the negroes have been
in the habit of using old tin canisters, with
glass in the bottom, to enable them
to see better In the course Of
the past ten years the catch has
fallen 10 to 20 per cent. but by reason OF the
increased price good and bad shells have met
with ready sale. The annual production
varies from Sl20,000 to $4,000. During
the last season of four months it reached only
S25 900, against $4,000 to $4,000 in the
corresponding periods of other years. Jeddah
was formerly the sole market, but on account
of the corruption of the custom officials there
the port only receives about quarter of the
catch now, the rest going to Suakin and
Massowah. Pearls to the value of 81 900 or
So 900 ara found annually; bur this estimate
Is uncertain, as the larger and more valuable
ones are sold secretly. The mother-of pearl
shells are sold at public auction in Jeddah in
lots of about so pounds. Ten years ago all
that came on the market at Jeddah were
shipped off in Arab vessels to SueZ,
whence they were sent to Carlo, where
they were sold. At present the greater
part is sent to Trieste, the rest
going to Havre and London. The largest
and most perfect and beautiful shells are
purchased by traders from Bethlehem, who
take them home and cut and sell them to
pilgrims. Jeddah shells are less valued in
Europe than those of Suskin and Nassowah
because of their yellow tinge In an ordinary
lot of shells, as sold in the market, 8 per
cent will be large, 20 per cent, medium sized,
% per cent, small medium, 10 per cent,
small, % per cent, dead or cracked, and
per cent will consist of impurities and coral
loid marble. Some wears since \ German
attempted pearl fishing with feet manned
by Greeks. but as the experiment was never
renewed it is to be presumed that it was a
failure.